Shooting At Movement

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

January 17, 1992

''DON'T DRESS to impress,'' an About Town item, noted that two rabbit hunters in Osceola County wore blue-and-white plaid shirts, and not safety orange or red.

Regardless of what color clothing a hunter wears in the field, had any of the 80 other hunters in the field that particular day even thought about firing a shot at the rabbit hunters, they should have been arrested, had their licenses revoked and their weapons confiscated. Charge: mental incompetence. One of the most important basic rules of hunter safety is, ''Be sure of your target and beyond.''

The wearing of safety orange in the field is admirable. But when there is a nut out there with ''buck fever,'' it makes no difference what color one is wearing, for these so-called hunters do not shoot at targets - they shoot at movement.

It will not be too long before the state of Florida will require that all hunters complete a ''hunter safety course'' before obtaining a hunting license. When that happens, maybe it will be a little safer in the field and ranchers won't have to paint ''cow'' on their animals.

The Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission offers such hunter safety classes. Folks, sign up for one. The life you save may be yours.